I agree with the sentiment that being snarky doesn't help, but I think ddebernardy is correct when saying: "Sure, a good samaritan could do the work, figure it

I agree with the sentiment that being snarky doesn't help, but I think ddebernardy is correct when saying: "Sure, a good samaritan could do the work, figure it out, learn something new in the process, and answer. Maybe they'll even answer it another few times for the feel-good factor. But at some point they'll get bored or irritated, and therein lies the rub." Personally after having answered a lot of questions - in a nice, helpful way, mind you - questions whose answer could simply be "RTFM", these days I just avoid them. The problem with these kinds of questions are that more and more they offer nothing to the person answering them. A lot of them are asked by people who created an account on SO just to ask that question and then throws away the key (to that account). So don't expect to get any feedback, whether karma, comments or to be marked accepted. Don't expect there to be an interesting discussion with other devs with different experiences. I mean, I was answering questions on forums long before there was any karma involved just because I like to help/teach, but for that to be interesting to me who answers questions, there must be some sort of feedback. Karma is one way but I always preferred the good ol' discussion. It means I get to learn something as well. Questions answerable with "RTFM" offer very little of that. I guess what I'm saying is that people who answers question on SO (or similar sites) are not getting paid to answers those questions. They do it for fun, learning experience, karma, status or whatever. So there has to be something in it for them as well.